Capital spending among service centers is on the increase in 2011, up over 16 percent on average, according to MCN data. The industry’s leading equipment vendors report renewed sales and inquiry activity following two weak years for the U.S. economy.

Herr-Voss Stamco, DoALL, Hypertherm and the Caldwell Group lead their respective categories in the Metal Center News Top 10 Service Center Equipment Brands lists for 2011.

Information for these brand rankings was compiled as part of MCN’s Outlook survey conducted in October and November 2010, as well as the magazine’s December 2010 poll of toll processors. Respondents were given an alphabetical list of the 14 largest companies in each product category with instructions to check all they would endorse and buy from in the future. Respondents also had the opportunity to write in additional company names or brands not on the lists.

The final ranking, based simply on the total number of votes each company received, gives a rough indication of which brands currently command the largest share of mind, and highest levels of customer satisfaction, among service center executives. This methodology does not attempt to rank companies by size or market share, but rather to measure the relative level of brand awareness they have achieved among respondents to MCN’s surveys.

Capital spending among service centers is on the increase in 2011, up over 16 percent on average, according to MCN data. The industry’s leading equipment vendors report renewed sales and inquiry activity following two weak years for the U.S. economy.